Gattuso on Italy mistake, rejecting other national teams and career opportunity

Gennaro Gattuso discusses ‘the biggest mistake’ Italy could make against Moldova, reveals he turned down other national team roles and ‘didn’t think this opportunity would arrive’ so early.

It kicks off at the Stadionul Zimbru in Chisinau at 19.45 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

The Azzurri’s last hope of perhaps taking first place have evaporated, as although Norway took a while, they did eventually break Estonia down in the earlier qualifier to maintain a 100 per cent record with a 4-1 victory.

It means even if Italy do beat Norway at San Siro on Sunday, they cannot possibly bridge the gap in goal difference.

“These are two important games, we must keep improving, working well together on and off the field. The biggest mistake we could make would be to underestimate this fixture,” Gattuso told RAI Sport.

“I believe at this moment we have to think about ourselves, not what happens elsewhere. Anything could happen today, including us dropping points and Norway struggling, but the most important thing is to give our all and then see.”

Erling Haaland bagged another brace this evening for Norway, so is it better for Italy to lack a superstar like that or would Gattuso prefer a unique talent to rely on?

“It depends how you want to look at it. I think it is better to have a collective that works well together rather than a single player who makes the difference, but both are positive.”

This could be a very attacking 4-4-2 formation, or a 4-2-3-1 with Riccardo Orsolini, Giacomo Raspadori and Mattia Zaccagni supporting centre-forward Gianluca Scamacca.

There are only three players who also started the most recent match, a 3-0 victory over Israel, specifically Sandro Tonali, Andrea Cambiaso and Raspadori.

“It’s about attitude. You cannot say the word ‘fear’ to begin with. We want to play with an attacking approach, but always with balance, otherwise it doesn’t work,” noted Gattuso.

“We don’t have many days to work in training, but we’re working on it. This is not dissimilar to the issue with set plays, for years we kept saying that we were bad on set plays, that inevitably we’d concede, but that just creates panic. We know it’s a problem, we work on it, and now we are better.”

The 2006 World Cup winner was appointed in part because he represents the history of the Nazionale in this tournament.

“I don’t like talking too much about patriotism. I like to work with people who are eager, who tell me when they are tired, but then have the passion and desire when it counts.

“Football was their favourite game as kids, then it became a job. We know that we are privileged, but when it’s time to focus and be professional, we do it.”

Carlo Ancelotti, who is now the manager of Brazil, said that he dreams of a 2026 World Cup Final between Italy and Brazil.

“I hope so! I love Carlo too, there was this controversy because I made the mistake when taking over at Napoli saying the team wasn’t physically in good shape. I wouldn’t say that again going back.

“What we had together was incredible and that respect and affection will always remain.”

Gattuso was asked if he wonders what might’ve happened if he had come to the Italy job earlier, before Spalletti’s dismissal and that 3-0 defeat in Norway?

“I didn’t think I would have this opportunity at my age to lead the Nazionale, in all honesty. I had some other proposals elsewhere and always said no, because I would not take a national team role that was not Italy.

“I miss being on the field every day, so I’d only do this for the Nazionale, for the Azzurri.”